We are super thrilled to have the fabulous Jean Smith of Jean Smith Photography guest posting for us today! She is highlighting what to wear for newborn sessions. I just ADORE her newborn work…

Here’s what she has to say…

It took me a long time to get in a groove with newborn sessions. My newborn sessions used to be a combination of forced poses, crying babies, and a lot of frustration on my part. I almost wanted to give up when I had a “light bulb moment.” I realized that my niche is not posing babies perfectly. My niche is capturing the baby naturally, along with the relationships and interaction with family members. So, I started shooting how I loved to shoot and newborns became one of my favorite types of sessions.

However.

With the exit of solid backdrops and formal poses, solid white or black shirts and jeans on family members no longer worked with my lifestyle look. I wanted a soft and natural feel with the focus on Baby, but with Mom and Dad being an important part of the image.

So what should Mom and Dad wear to look natural, and still compliment the baby and image?

What about siblings?

And what about Baby?

Let’s start with Mom and Dad, since they are the most important “props” baby may have. First and foremost, we want Mom to feel beautiful and flattered…as she did JUST have a baby (and we all know how we feel right after we had a baby). I suggest short or long sleeves to flatter, or perhaps a cover up (like a cardigan sweater). Light colored, solid tops are soft and still flattering to Mom. I LOVE when Mom opts for a long dress…preferable solid, or with just a light pattern. It adds such a softness and whimsy to the images with a newborn baby. Dad can wear a solid shirt complimentary to mom’s color of shirt. A subtle pattern on dad’s shirt is also cute, and adds interest…like a striped button down shirt.

If siblings will be in the images, it is best to go with siblings in solid, neutral colors (ex: oatmeal, white, grey), so that the focus can still be on the baby.

And for Baby? I prefer the baby to be naked for at least some of the session. It is one time in his/her life that it is ok to be nude, and it is just SO. DANG. CUTE. It is also fun to get a variety of images by using scarves (or other wraps), thin blankets, or diaper covers on the baby. By dressing family members in solid, neutral colors, you can put the focus on Baby by swaddling him/her in a colorful wrap, or maybe a cute, lightly patterned blanket. I educate parents NOT to use newborn outfits, as they are usually too big and tend to drown the baby and cover their face when holding or posing him/her. However, if the baby has a special outfit from Grandma, friend, or someone else special, then by all means, take a few shots! If parents want an outfit for the baby, then solid and snug fitting outfits look best on newborns.

I am thrilled to be posting this for Wardrobe Wednesday…a fabulous site dedicated to helping photographers and clients choose clothing that will look amazing in photos. You can find more ideas and inspiration from them every Wednesday HERE.

This week, Morgan spotlights an awesome retailer for those of you with little ones. I LOVE these leggings. How perfect would they be for a first birthday cake smash session? If you’re one of my clients on the schedule who has one coming up, be sure to enter to win a pair!

Here’s what new mom Morgan has to say:

My son may only be 13 days old, but I’m already thinking about how to dress him (A) in a way that makes changing a diaper as easy as possible, and (B) in a way that makes impromptu photos just a little bit cuter.

A few years ago I stumbled upon BabyLegs, a company that makes stylish leggings that cover a kid’s legs without covering the diaper. I wondered if there might be a local business producing something similar. Via Etsy (isn’t the whole world on Etsy now?), I discovered a mom making something she calls “Crawler Covers.” And turns out, she lives in my neighborhood!

You’ve got a chance to win some free crawler covers … more on that in a moment. First, I want to introduce Laurie Williams of Crawler Covers & More. I asked her to briefly describe what she does, and why. Here’s my little Q&A with Laurie …

How did your business begin?

My business began on a whim. I started making the leg warmers for my daughter, who was 18 months old at the time. A few friends inquired about them and suggested I start selling them. I was pleasantly surprised that the business took off and has lasted the past 5 years. I love my job and all my amazing customers.

Why do you like crawler covers?

I like them because they are so versatile. Not only can babies wear them to protect their knees when crawling, older children can wear them for dance class, soccer, and can be worn as arm warmers for chilly mornings.

Do you do custom orders? What sizes do you sell? Do they fit newborns, or are they better for children a bit older?

I sell the leg warmers in 2 sizes. The itty bitty size is for newborns up to 12 months of age. The toddler size fits most up to the age of 8. The toddler size will fit newborns, and will scrunch up on their legs until they fully grow into them.

Want to nab six FREE pairs of Crawler Covers for your very own? You have three chances to win. Here’s how:

Please note that only separate comments will be counted as individual entries. If you leave all your information in one comment, it will only be counted as one entry. Comments left on my blog will not count as entries — only those made on Morgan’s post. The winner will be chosen via Random.org on Monday, April 16th at 9:00 AM EST.

Last week a Wardrobe Wednesday fan posted a note asking for advice on pairing outfits with military ACUs (Army Combat Uniforms). To help us out, we decided to enlist military wife and photographer Rachel of Rachel Brenke Photography. She brought her unique perspective and came up with outfits for a couple as well as an entire family. They did a fantastic job!

Thank you so much, Rachel!

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As a military spouse, working intimately with clients who are going through deployments/homecomings can be really emotional. Getting ready for a homecoming or deployment session is completely different than one of family portraits that are done yearly. There’s always the real possibility this may be their last; at the very least, this is one of the things that will help the family get through the rough separation. Being in a military community, the majority of my clients are military, even if they prefer to shoot not in uniform. My biggest goal with getting ready for a session — especially one that is during or before a deployment — is to ensure that they have FUN because you are essentially taking up their limited time together and want to make it more than a session. Make it a memory. Of course the goal is for ALL clients to feel this, but with military it just seems to have that air of privilege that you get to be the one to document.

I chose the colors for the styled outfits because they are reminiscent of the yellow and blues that are often associated with the United States Military and flag. I avoided reds because red is not flattering on many individuals. The use of cooler tones helped tie this patriotic theme together, but also is more flattering for most body types and skin tones.

Rachel Brenke Photography is a Texas-based Wedding & Senior Photographer, as well as a business consultant for photographers. She offers online and in-person workshops for all levels of photographers to aid in establishing and growing of their business.

Last week, we had a special request from a mom who has a photo session with FIVE boys, one girl, and a hubby to round out a happy family of eight. It’s not an easy task to put together a wardrobe with so many kiddos, so we thought we would try to help. As I commonly like to suggest, I started with the 11-year-old daughter, and gave her an outfit with multiple colors with which to coordinate. Following the blues and yellows scheme, I added in five boy shirts choosing a different color for each. With all of these shirts, the boys can wear either khakis or blue jeans. Mix in a couple of outfits for mom and dad, and you have a family that makes mom look like she has everything under control!

It’s not easy to always find everything in one store, so the best advice I can give in this situation is to go for colors that are trending for the season. Follow that rule, and you should have multiple choices at various stores.

We’re getting really close to the end of the school year here in Texas, and there’s still quite a few Seniors who decided to wait until it got a little warmer to do their Senior portraits. Erica has compiled some great looks for this awesome spring weather we are expecting to soon arrive.

Here’s what she has to say:

A few weeks ago we featured some new senior fashions for guys, so I decided we needed to highlight some of the new senior fashions for girls too! April is my busiest month for seniors and I love all the spring looks! Whenever I need some new ideas for senior fashion, I love browsing through the latest Lookbook from Ruche. Ruche is one of my favorite fashion stores for young women. They have so many awesome outfits, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and more! Their vintage style is so in right now, and their patterns and textures are unique and fun. I am a fan of one-stop shopping, so all of the outfits seen below come from Ruche. Don’t forget the accessories – they have some awesome headbands and jewelry, too!

Once again, Rebecca Keeling has assembled an adorable collection of outfits and props for a photo shoot. Her latest target: Easter! She also introduced me to two stores I hadn’t been familiar with — Wooden Soldier and CWDkids.

If you’d like to see the easter outfits we put together last year, check out this post from last year!

Cheers!

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Believe it or not, Easter is just around the corner. I’m sure lots of you are planning, planning, and planning some more for Easter family sessions, mini sessions, sibling sessions, or just trying to figure out how to get your kiddos looking great for church on Easter Sunday! Here’s a little bit of bunny inspiration, from totally matching outfits, to coordinating colors, right down to bright, personalized Easter tee shirts. Whatever your style, you’re sure to find something to get your Easter creativity flowing. I’ve even thrown in a few ideas for styling a cute Easter portrait session with some fun props, whether it’s in your own backyard or with your favorite professional photographer. So, “hop” to it, and capture those sweet memories of your babies while they are still little! Happy Spring!

If you are a photographer; whether a pro, an amateur, a momtog or you just plain love taking pictures, then you KNOW how much goes into this craft. We’ve all spent a LOT of long hours learning how to use our camera, shoot in manual, finding the light, perfecting our white balance etc, etc. Not to mention the business portion of photography! It’s enough to make your head spin. Attending workshops and conferences is a MUST, if you want to get it together and be successful enough to rise above the crowd. As you may or may not know, one of our Wardrobe Wednesday members, Shannon Dodge, is a Florida girl and is great friends with the uber-talented husband and wife team, Jean and Travis Smith. AND we are SO excited that Wardrobe Wednesday is helping Jean and Travis give away ONE FREE SEAT to their upcoming Naples, Florida workshop!!!

An $1,100.00 value! {HELLO!!!}

This is an amazing opportunity to learn everything they know: natural light, off camera flash, posing, creativity, post processing, and all things business.

So, how do you win, you ask?!? It’s simple. Just head on over to Shannon’s blog, read all of the detailed info, and enter the contest! Done and done. You won’t want to miss out on this opportunity!